The Safavid dynasty was one of Iran's most significant ruling dynasties reigning from 1501 to 1736. Their rule is often considered the beginning of modern Iranian history, as well as one of the gunpowder empires. The Safavid Shāh Ismā'īl I established the Twelver denomination of Shīʿa Islam as the official religion of the Persian Empire, marking one of the most important turning points in the history of Islam. The Safavid dynasty had its origin in the Safavid order of Sufism, which was established in the city of Ardabil in the Iranian Azerbaijan region. It was an Iranian dynasty of Kurdish origin, but during their rule they intermarried with Turkoman, Georgian, Circassian, and Pontic Greek dignitaries, nevertheless, for practical purposes, they were Turkic-speaking and Turkified. From their base in Ardabil, the Safavids established control over parts of Greater Iran and reasserted the Iranian identity of the region, thus becoming the first native dynasty since the Sasanian Empire to establish a national state officially known as Iran.
Tahmasp II was the penultimate Safavid shah of Iran, ruling from 1722 to 1732.
Sam Mirza, known by his dynastic name of Shah Safi, was the sixth shah of Safavid Iran, ruling from 1629 to 1642. Abbas the Great was succeeded by his grandson, Safi. A reclusive and passive character, Safi was unable to fill the power vacuum which his grandfather had left behind. His officials undermined his authority and revolts constantly broke out across the realm. The continuing war with the Ottoman Empire, started with initial success during Abbas the Great's reign, but ended with the humiliating defeat of Iran and the Treaty of Zuhab, which returned much of Iran's conquests in Mesopotamia to the Ottomans.
Khan Ahmad Khan, was the last king of the Karkiya dynasty in Gilan, ruling from 1538 to 1592. In 1591, the Safavid shah Shah Abbas asked Khan Ahmad Khan's daughter Yakhan Begum to marry his son Mohammad Baqer Mirza, since Khan Ahmad Khan had no male successor. Khan Ahmad Khan disagreed due to the age of his daughter. This and some other economic factors caused a Safavid raid in 1591 and Khan Ahmad Khan escaped to Ottoman territories, and spent the rest of his life in Constantinople and Baghdad, spending fruitless attempts to return to power. He died in 1596 and was buried in Najaf, one of the holiest cities of Shia Islam.
Mirza Mohammad Taqi, better known as Saru Taqi was a eunuch in Safavid Iran, who served as the Grand Vizier of the Safavid king (shah) Safi and the latter's son Abbas II until he was assassinated on 11 October 1645.
Mohammad Beg, was a Muslim of Armenian origin, who served as the Grand Vizier of the Safavid king (shah) Abbas II from 1654 to 1661.
Farhād Khān Qarāmānlu, also known by his honorific title of Rokn al-Saltana, was a Turkoman military officer from the Qaramanlu family, and was the last member of the Qizilbash to serve as commander-in-chief (sipah-salar) of the Safavid Empire.
Fath-Ali Khan Daghestani, was a Lezgian nobleman, who served as the Grand Vizier of the Safavid shah (king) Soltan Hoseyn from 1716 to 1720.
Isa Khan Safavi, also known as Isa Khan Shaykhavand was a Safavid prince, who occupied high offices under king (shah) Abbas I.
Mirza Mohammad Taher Vahid Qazvini, was an Iranian bureaucrat, poet, and historian, who served as the grand vizier of two Safavid monarchs, Shah Suleiman and the latter's son Soltan Hoseyn from 1691 to 1699.
Salman Khan Ustajlu was a Turkoman military leader from the Ustajlu tribe, who became a powerful and rich figure during his service in Safavid Iran. He briefly served as the grand vizier of the Safavid king (shah) Abbas I from 1621 until his death in 1623/4. He was succeeded by Khalifeh Sultan.
Mehdi Qoli Khan Shamlu was a Turkoman military officer from the Shamlu tribe, who briefly served as the Safavid governor of Bia-pish from 1592 to 1593.
Yakhan Begum was a Karkiya princess, who was the daughter of the last Karkiya ruler Khan Ahmad Khan, and the Safavid princess Maryam Begum.
The Khalifeh family, also known as the Khalifeh sayyids, were a branch of the Marashi dynasty of Mazandaran, whose ancestor, Amir Nezam al-Din, had settled in the Golbar quarter of Isfahan in the 15th century.
Hedayat-Allah Khan was a Gilaki prince, who was the semi-independent ruler of Gilan from 1753 to 1786.
Agha Jamal Fumani, also known as Hajji Jamal Fumani, was a Gilaki tribal chieftain from Fuman, who controlled Gilan from 1749 to 1752.
Bahram Mirza Safavi was a Safavid prince, governor and military commander in 16th-century Iran. He was the youngest son of Shah Ismail I, the founder of the Safavid dynasty.
Nezam al-Din Ahmad Gilani, also known by his honorific title of Hakim al-Molk, was an Iranian philosopher and physician from Gilan, who served the Qutb Shahi rulers in the Indian region of Deccan.
The province of Khuzestan was a southwestern province of Safavid Iran, corresponding to the present-day province of Khuzestan.
Soltan-Ali Mirza was the ruler of the Kar-Kiya dynasty from 1478 to 1504/05. Under him, the dynasty reached its apex of power, to such a degree that he fought against the Aq Qoyunlu over the rulership of Qazvin.
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